But incentives for innovation abound in a swathe of areas: product design and manufacture, distribution, retailing, marketing, finance, systems, wholesaling, affinity, marketing communications, technology, (have we missed anything?).

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Simon Wardle, senior vice president of insights and strategy at sports marketing firm Octagon Worldwide, argues that fan affinity toward an athlete can and should prove just as important as medal standings, particularly at the Olympic games.

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At heart, marketing is about making emotional connections and developing an affinity between a person and a company.

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